Carlisle United 1-1 Morecambe

Padraig Amond’s late penalty handed Morecambe a point at struggling Carlisle on Saturday.

The Irishman kept his cool from 12 yards on 77 minutes to cancel out Brad Potts’ goal early in the second period.

Referee Peter Bankes ruled home skipper Danny Grainger had brought down Paul Mullin with Amond making no mistake.

In an even opening The Shrimps were first to go close, Jamie Devitt’s low cross from the right across the face of goal evading everyone as Jack Redshaw hesitated five minutes in.

At the other end, Danny Ward was soon into the action on debut, the Liverpool loanee diving to his right to deny Kyle Dempsey after Carlisle’s top scorer had driven forward and let fly from 20 yards.

It was the hosts who looked the more likely to score despite The Shrimps threatening on the break.

Most of Morecambe’s problems was their own making with three chances to clear being wasted before Potts fired just wide of Ward’s left-hand post with the ‘keeper seemingly beaten on 20 minutes.

The half was an increasingly scrappy affair however low on quality as both sides struggled to put spells of possession together.

Six minutes before the interval Potts, the game’s liveliest player in the opening period, stepped in from the left and shot wide from 25 yards.

It was Potts who then gave his side the lead eight minutes into the second half.

The Shrimps only half cleared a Dempsey free-kick with the midfielder firing in a low shot from 25 yards that beat Ward low to his left.

The visitors’ response was almost immediate with Aaron Wildig nearly getting a debut goal on 55 minutes but his turn and shot from 15 yards went narrowly wide.

The hosts were sitting in and looked content to hit Morecambe on the break with their one-goal lead, Potts acrobatically turning Patrick Brough’s cross over on the hour.

Carlisle were inviting pressure and looked nervy defensively but they continued to look the more likely to get the game’s next goal, Potts drilling over an effort from 15 yards under pressure when he should have tested Ward.

The Shrimps were level out of nothing 13 minutes from time.

Substitute Mullin beat Grainger in the area and went down with referee Peter Pankes pointing to the spot.

Amond stepped up and sent Hanford the wrong way from 12 yards as he scored into the bottom right-hand corner to level things up.

The Shrimps were nearly in front nine minutes from time with Redshaw thumping an effort from 30 yards against the crossbar.

Carlisle then went straight up the other end and wanted a penalty of their own as Charlie Wyke went down under challenge from Ward but referee Bankes showed his second yellow card of the game for diving having earlier cautioned Redshaw.

It was the hosts who came closest to snatching a winner in stoppage time, Jason Kennedy’s ball into the box missing everyone and going narrowly wide of the far post.